2022/2023
In past years I have looked back on the year that was but have elected not to do so this time around. Last year, which thank goodness is now over, was one of sadness, anger, frustration and disappointment. I’m sure the year had its good moments but as I reflect on the matter nothing immediately springs to mind.
The New Year offers an opportunity for optimism and although some things will roll over from one year to the next I shall seek to remain positive that things will improve. Alas I fear modelling and painting time, as well as blogging time, will be limited. Therefore, as much as possible, I shall endeavour to focus on quality over quantity. Quite what that means and how it translates into reality remains to be seen but for now that’s as much of a plan as I have for the New Year.
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This Weeks Mini Is …
… another clown. All in all that’s four I have done now, two from Reaper and two from Studio Miniatures. In the last photo the Reaper figures can be seen on the far right and the far left and they are a little larger in scale. No pun intended but they are fun to do.
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Deep and Meaningful
Courage is knowing it might hurt but doing it anyway. Stupidity is the same. And that’s why life is hard.
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Christmas and New Year
Christmas I’m pleased to report went well but I’m thankful it is now over for another year. As a kid I enjoyed it and I loved it when my own children were small. I have a great many happy memories but over the last few years, and perhaps this one in particular, I’ve come to share my late father’s view that as you get older it can be a sad occasion. It’s billed rightly as a family event but for that to really work you have to have a family which of course a great many people don’t have.
Then of course there are the family members who have been lost but not forgotten who are duly rembered with sadness that they are no longer with us. I guess it’s an age thing and somewhat dependent on your personal disposition. And then there is the atrocity which is happening in the Ukraine and countless other inhuman acts happening elsewhere in the world which have devastated Christmas for so many.
I think this is why I much prefer New Year’s Eve. It’s an opportunity to get together with good friends and get pissed. For a few hours it provides the opportunity to put the world to rights, forget or care less about what is going on in it and just say “fuck it”. The downside of course is the hangover the next day!
Happy New Year everyone.
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Well It Made Me Laugh
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And Finally…
The role of a woman is to observe when a man is happy and then put a stop to such nonsense!
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Until next time.
TIM
The Imperfect Modeller 
Nice work on the clown(s), Dave! 🙂 Here’s hoping for a better year for a lot of people! I’ve tended to be less keen on Christmas as the years have gone by, but I put that down to me being a grumpy git!
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Thanks John. Being a grumpy old git is an age thing for sure and I think it certainly applies to me too. I think I’m warming to the role though! 🤣
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The clown is excellent Dave, and the freehand work is your normal next level. Hope that 2023 is the year you would like it to be, a great start would be Parliament blowing up while they’re arguing about their pay rise ! LOL
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Haha, that would be an improvement Dave. It could hardly make matters worse could it! 🙂
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Excellent work on that clown mate, creepy wee bugger!
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Cheers mate. Creepy is the only look for a Clown I think. 🙂
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Smashing creepy clown (s) mate, things have got to start getting better soon (haven’t they?).
I know the old man who lives next door to me was all alone over Christmas, I know this because I went round to borrow his dining room chairs as he wasn’t using them!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Cheers Roger.
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You’re a wicked bugger Roger! 🤣🤣
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I’ll always be a big kid at Christmas. It’s the one time of year I can be a complete clown (😉) and no one can complain hehe. More than anything at Christmas, and for the whole year, I try to be grateful for what and who I have rather than the opposite. Not always an easy thing because there is a lot of shit in the world and of course life can throw us some shit too at times. You’re a good man Davey and we all love ya and your extraordinary work in the hobby. Keep smiling and have the best year you can. Can’t wait to see what you show us in 2023.
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Thanks for the kind words mate. Hopefully there will be enough time to get some nice minis painted and posted over ethe course of the year. 🙂
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Aww, IRO said it best. And besides, you’ve got golf now! Glad to see the clowns, make me wish I could put something like these on a plinth. Inspired. Wishing you a great 2023 Dave, the world, and especially the blogosphere, is a better place with you in it.
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Haha, the golf is great but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that it’s bloody frustrating too! Thanks for the kind words Mark and glad you like the clowns. Fingers crossed for all of us to have a great 2023. 🙂
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Those clowns sculpts are pretty darn evil and you do a great job bringing out that character in your painting as well. They look great all together too. I look forward to seeing what you get up to next year and quality over quantity is always a good philosophy in my book too. I hope the new year treats us better than last year too! 🙂
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You can’t beat an evil Clown and they do offer a great opportunity for freedom painting, freehand and a much wider colour pallette. Fingers crossed for 2023. 🙂🤞
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Excellent clown Dave. Here is hoping that 2023 is a better year for you and I look forward to seeing what you get up to. I am afraid I don’t get golf. I really can’t see the appeal of belting your balls all over the place with a club.
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Thanks Steve. As for golf I think it’s as well you aren’t into it given the weather you get! 😉
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Creepy freaking clowns. Dang. Lol. As usual, you really can paint!
I get the grumpy part. Legit, the world kinda sucks right now. Hope 2023 is a bit happier for you. Despite everything. Know this, your blog and creative work put a little light into people’s lives as we get inspired by the cool stuff you create. Take a little happiness in that.
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Really appreciate the very kind words and glad you like the clowns and the blog. I’m hopeful that 2023 would be better than 2022 but the world seems so screwed up I don’t think I’ll hold me breath! 🤞🤣
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Love the clown.
Happy New Year.
Cheers,
Pete. (also grumpy)
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Thanks Pete. 😊
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Happy New Year, hope 2023 is a good one for you, and the clowns look great 🙂
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Thank you. Happy New Year to you too. 🙂
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Send in the clowns! Great painting as usual.
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Cheers mate. 🙂
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Wait a sec, you’re aiming for Quality over Quantity now? Does that mean your Quality is going to increase?! Looks like the rest of us can hang up painting now!! Awesome clown there, and quite creepy! Hope things are picking up for you. I looked back on 2022 and couldn’t think of much that went right, but I guess that means it’s time to forge ahead in 2023 and make it a better one! Cheers Dave!
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Glad you like the Clown. I guess what I really mean by quality is trying to do more freehand and make figures more unique as a consequence. Easier said than done of course and need to find the right figures too which interest me. Fingers crossed that 2023 offers something better for both of us. 🙂
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I do enjoy the freehand you’re doing, so definitely looking forward to more! So far 2023 might be shaping up to be better. But let’s not count our chickens before they hatch, haha!
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Hope you are ok mate, I may be reading between the lines incorrectly here, but I hope your alright.
I hope the start of 2023 is treating you better mate!
And as every a really amazing model, even if it sort of scares the crap out of me!
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I’m fine mate and appreciate you asking. Life, as you know I’m sure, has bumps in the road from time to time and right now I’m negotiating a large one relating to my dad’s death last year and my mum’s bowel cancer diagnosis of a couple of months ago. All very demanding hence the lack of blogging and hobby time, a situation which is likely to continue for some while to come. Things will settle down eventually and it’s not all gloom and doom. 🙂
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I’m glad you are coping mate.
Neither of those are going to be easy to deal with, take it as easy as you can.
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Love the clowns Dave, I loved them and thought they were funny as a kid but know they have seemed to take on a more sinister aspect. Well done on the last one as he has just underlined what I just said!!! .
Your words in regards to Xmas ring true with me mate, if it weren’t for my two girls having a passion for it I don’t think Jill and I would bother. Like you said there is so much going wrong around the world it is hard to rejoice knowing there is bugger all one can do about it, I feel old age doesn’t help.
Chin up mate and don’t worry about putting to much up on the blog as I cant keep up with everyone goings on what with having to spend so much time in the orchard or the vegetable plots , just call me Old Herbaceous!!
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Thanks Pat, glad you like the clowns. You’ll soon catch up with my blog as I haven’t posted for what now seems like an age. I must try to put that right soon but just too much going on! 🙂
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I’m with you there mate, your all struggling through winter and I’m out all day watering the bloody garden 😅😅can’t complain though as I love the heat. It’s the quality that you put into yours that matters mate 👍🏻🤓
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In the manner of these things, I came to your blog via a comment of yours on Pat’s. Love your painting, the humour and quotes (just showed a few of the rippers below to my wife!).
Regards, James
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Glad you like the blog James and enjoyed the posts and figures too. Alas for now I’m not able to put out much in the way of new posts, partly due to some capacity issues but mainly due to family issues which have, and continue to do so, left me with no time. Hopefully something I can remedy later in the year. 🤞
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